The Los Angeles Lakers lost their second game with Luka Dončić, snapping a six-game winning streak and leaving them with big questions about their frontcourt. With Anthony Davis out of the picture, the team must find a way to dominate the paint, an area where they struggled against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
The 131-119 defeat showed a significant disparity in points-in-the-paint, with the Lakers trailing 54-36. Mark Williams, the big man acquired through trade but scrapped due to medical issues, was expected to fill this void. However, his absence left the team with limited depth options, with Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len being relied upon.
Head coach JJ Redick acknowledged that his players have been put in tough spots all season, particularly for their bench units. Despite these challenges, Dalton Knecht provided a bright spot off the bench with 10 points. For the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen led the scoring with 32 points, while Walker Kessler added 16 points and eight blocks.
Landing Dončić has given the Lakers a boost for their long-term prospects, but in the short term, they must address their current big man rotation issues. The team may be forced to start one of Hayes or Len in playoff games, where they’ll face top-tier centers like Nikola Jokić and Rudy Gobert.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-lose-second-game-with-luka-doncic-as-frontcourt-issues-loom-without-anthony-davis-042730066.html